In the past, Turkey hasn’t been known for having the most decadent desserts. Chocolate in any form isn’t high on anyone’s priority list. In fact, the average Turk consumes less than a kilo of chocolate per year whereas the average German can consume up to 7 kilos per year. But, similar to the rising popularity of specialised coffee, the chocolate scene is slowly starting to make waves. The times are definitely changing!
Izmir held its first annual (and long anticipated) Chocolate Festival at the La Vie Nouvelle venue on March 31 – April 2, 2017. The same organizers, Next Organization and Ateş Prodüksiyon, also held the Izmir Coffee Festival in October 2016.
The festival was well organized with booths representing small and large chocolate and dessert companies. Alongside the chocolate lover stands, several other small handicraft businesses were represented, giving guests a diversity in shopping. Festival goers enjoyed coffee, chocolate crepes, truffles, ice cream, and a beautiful chocolate fountain for drizzling over a cup of fruit. Along with purchasing items from the businesses (or free sampling at some of the more generous booths), the festival offered baking workshops for both adults and kids and held seminars about different topics related to chocolate like ‘Health and Chocolate’.
If you got tired from eating sugar, guests could sit next to the sea and enjoy the view of the bay. A DJ provided music from the stage. Activities for children and group dance lessons announced from the stage brought laughter and entertainment for all who came. If the adults weren’t enjoying the music, the kids would. Even though the venue was too crowded, the event was extremely family friendly.
A few final tip for when you attend next year. First, if possible, buy tickets during the buy one, get one free special. The event was enjoyable but small and unfortunately, not worth the full ticket price. Secondly, attend the festival early on the first day to enjoy more samples and a relaxed atmosphere. Finally, consider attending a baking workshop or seminar. The festival gave 38 workshops and seminars holding 20 attendees each in 3 days. Increase your baking skills by learning how to make truffles or a nutella pralines alongside others.
Overall, the first ever festival was a tremendous hit with both locals and foreigners. Unfortunately, visitors were very critical of the festival afterwards, but the organization addressed the issues via their Facebook page. There is much admiration for starting small and within their boundaries. The second annual event will surpass the first festival as the team hopes to address the feedback offered by visitors after the event.
Would you go to a Chocolate Festival near you? Have you been to one before? What is your favorite chocolate treat? Let us know in the comments below!
All images courtesy of the author.
